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Discovering Aikido analyses the principles that enable the student to learn Aikido efficiently. Many spend their lives searching for the elusive aiki, or fluid power, of Aikido. Although no book can provide a perfect insight, this volume presents the serious practitioner with a better sense of direction and an improved understanding of what is often considered to be one of the most complex martial arts.

A clearly written book that enables the student to learn Aikido in a proficient way · Emphasizes the importance of both the ‘individual’ and independent learning · Advocates that students should seek the principles, not the form, and then apply them when practising technique

This is an excellent general advice book about the art of Aikido. It should appeal to both beginners and senior students alike. The author includes his own personal theories on how to approach training as well as practical exercises to do. It also includes many explanatory photographs, and it\'s written in clear simple language with some hidden gems of humour.
As an Aikido instructor myself I found this book a useful accompaniment to other more technical books. If you want to know more about Aikido, buy this book. If you then feel inspired, take up Aikido.

This is a newly released book, authored by an Aikikai stylist who currently resides and instructs in South Korea. The book is intended for those who are already engaged in the study of Aikido, and does not waste space talking about how to tie an obi or how to fold a hakama, but goes right to the business of explaining in some detail the dynamics and mechanics behind the various movements intrinsic to Aikido.

There are chapters on warm-ups, posture, breathing, spacing, balance, generating power, attacks, and many other topics, all discussed matter-of-factly, at what I would judge to be an intermediate level. The text does seem to waver somewhat between facts and opinion, but not in a way that would be detrimental. The author has definite ideas on how to train proficiently, and they are put before the reader succinctly in this text. The book is well illustrated, with numerous detailed diagrams and black/white photos. The photos are taken outdoors against a wooded natural backdrop, which seems to enhance some photos, but also makes others less clear.

One glaring omission from the material is any discussion, or even acknowledgement of, the principle of ki. The power of mind and breath do get much ink, as does the generation of mechanical power, but the concept of ki is left out completely. Some discussion of it would have made the book much more balanced, although I know that in some Aikido circles, ki is a vague and unsubstantiated element.

The book is a fairly easy read, although the single-spaced text is a little rough on the eyes, and the magazine-styled columnar text format seems a little out of place here. If you can get past all that, though, there is a lot of material presented here, and much can be learned from this book. I liked that the author targeted the material to the experienced practitioner, and that this is not just another “here’s what Aikido is” book. There is just no need for any more introductory level books on Aikido, because there is nothing that can be said at that level that has not already been said dozens of times before.

The book is a little pricey, especially since there will probably be a shipping charge on top of it, but in my opinion, it’s worth the money. It is a book that one can go back to and re-read from time to time, as there is real information here. Availability is good through Amazon and other online sources. Used copies are probably not available yet. I would recommend adding it to your library.

This is my little book and I would just like to say that this book is about aiki, and that is why I do not really talk about ki. In fact, in my experience, most people who talk about ki have no clue what they are talking about and I will not add to the mess that is 'out there'. And in double fact, I now see Aikido as the way of aiki, certainly not the way of ki. My book is about how to develop aiki. It offers a practical approach.